Washington has closed the Syrian embassy and two of its consulates, and has told all Syrian diplomats that they must leave the country, after Damascus decided to call back its mission last week.

"Following the announcement that the Syrian Embassy has
suspended its provision of consular services, and in
consideration of the atrocities the Assad regime has committed
against the Syrian people, we have determined it is unacceptable
for individuals appointed by that regime to conduct diplomatic or
consular operations in the United States," said a note from
the State Department’s special envoy for Syria, Daniel
Rubinstein.

As well as its mission in the US capital, Syria also operated two
consulates in Troy (Michigan) and Houston.

Syria’s own decision, reported in Middle Eastern media last week,
was allegedly provoked by the US, which made it increasingly
difficult to obtain accreditation for new diplomats since the
internal conflict broke out in 2011.

Reports also claimed that Damascus would follow the same course
of action in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, two other countries that
have staunchly supported the rebels alongside the US.

Neither Damascus nor Washington have implied that the withdrawal
of representatives constitutes a severing of diplomatic ties.

“Despite the differences between our governments, the United
States continues to maintain diplomatic relations with the state
of Syria as an expression of our longstanding ties with the
Syrian people, an interest that will endure long after Bashar
Assad leaves power,” said Rubinstein.

The US vacated its own embassy in Damascus more than two years
ago.

Karin Leukefeld, a journalist who has recently returned from
Syria, believes the situation has geopolitical implications
outside of the war-torn nation.

“I think it definitely has to do with the tense situation in
between Washington and Moscow over the situation in
Ukraine,” she told RT. “What is happening in Ukraine and
what is happening in Syria is closely connected...I think it's
total failure of US diplomacy on the case of Syria.”